Touring downtown Phoenix… by bike

Visiting the murals in the alley behind 5th St. near Roosevelt (photo source: Tony Arranaga)

[Source: LightRailBlogger.com] — I took my neighbors on a hour long bike tour of downtown Phoenix. Mike and Jane were not too familiar with the backstory to some of the historic sights in our urban core, so it was fun to give them some background on the landmarks in the heart of the city.

We started in the Evans Churchill neighborhood near 4th Street and Fillmore. We visited the community garden near Conspire Coffee and the murals in the alley behind 5th Street near Roosevelt in the arts district. Mike, Jane and I then went to the Phoenix Public Market, the Westward Ho and Civic Space Park. Our tour then continued south on 1st Avenue to see the Orpheum Lofts, 44 Monroe and the old City Hall.

Next. we made our way over to Hanny’s Restaurant, which used to be home to a high end department store back in the day. We then stopped by St. Mary’s Basilica where Pope John Paul II visited several years ago. Our trip ended at Heritage Square and then we stoppped for a bite to eat at Front Row – TGIFriday’s restaurant inside Chase Field where the Arizona Diamondbacks play ball.

How did I do? Where would you take friends or out of town guests to explore the heart of Phoenix? [Note: Read the full blog entry at Touring downtown Phoenix… by bike.]